Newsletter 1 - ACENorCal.org

Northern
California
Dispatch
Volume 9, Issue 5
Winter 2012/2013
The Official Publication of the
American Coaster Enthusiasts Northern California Region
N
C
D
Regional Rep’s Message
ACEers Alan Galindez (back
row, left) and Brent MacArthur
(back row, right) take flight on
SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight during our 2012 ACE Day at Six Flags
Discovery Kingdom.
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
Inside this issue:
Page:
Greetings, NorCal ACE members!
ACE Day at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
2
ACE Night at the CGA Haunt
6
I hope you are enjoying the “off season.” Given
that the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk operates
twelve months out of the year, we do not have
a completely “off” season. Before you know
it, our other parks will be opening again for
another long season of fun.
Gerry Watt’s Up? - Scandia Family Fun Center
8
ACE Holiday in the Park at Discovery Kingdom 10
Regional Attraction News:
Playland-Not-at-the-Beach, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
13
More Regional Attraction News:
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, California’s Great America
14
We are truly excited about the 2013 coaster
season because we are getting both the Gold
Even More Regional Attraction News:
Striker and Undertow new roller coasters! Stay Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park, Waterworld California
tuned to ACE NorCal for the latest newsworthy
Special Thanks, Next Issue
developments on both coasters.
session alone! Once our thrilling ERT session
on SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight had come to a
close, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom opened to
the public. From this point until noon, the park
set us free into the park to check out the thrilling rides, attractions and animal exhibits. When
noon came around, we headed into our reserved
picnic pavilion for lunch. As we entered, the park
handed us goodie bags which included a piece
of art painted by an animal at the park, a red
SUPERMAN cape and more!
Our meal included hot dogs, hamburgers, chips,
ice cream sandwiches and assorted Coca-Cola
soft drinks. Shortly thereafter, Six Flags Discovery
Kingdom’s Captain Lee, Park Ambassador and
Spokesperson, and Charles Laureano, of Park
Operations, came out to hold an informative Q&A
session with us. It was fascinating to hear from
both Charles and Captain Lee as Charles works
mostly with rides while Captain Lee is on the animal side. Also during this time we had an animal
meet-and-greet.
Following our Q&A session and animal meetand-greet, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom offered
us a unbeatable upgrade-price to their 2013 Gold
Passes. Almost all ACEers in attendance couldn’t
refuse the deal. By now, it was 2:00 PM and the
park again set us free to enjoy the rest of the day
on our own until the park closed at 6:00 PM that
afternoon. We would like to thank Captain Lee,
Charles Laureano, and the entire Six Flags Discovery Kingdom team for making our 2012 ACE Day
at SFDK a huge success. We cannot wait to experience it again in 2013!
-Nicholas Laschkewitsch, assistant regional rep.
-Photos: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
15
16
Upcoming Events (tentative):
2012 was a record year for ACE NorCal events.
I’d like to thank Assistant Regional Rep Nicholas
Laschkewitsch and Assistant Regional Reps Emi • Gold Striker Construction Tour: TBA
and Matthew Pearce for organizing the terrific • ACE Movie Night IV at PNATB: March
lineup of regional events in 2012. I’d like to
thank Assistant Regional Rep Gerry Watt for his Stay tuned to e-mail blasts for future event news!
(continued on page 16)
2012 ACE Day at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom with SUPERMAN
On September 16, we held our annual ACE Day
at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. However, this
year’s event was unlike any we had held in the
past. This season marked the opening of the
brand-new coaster SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight
from Premier Rides. SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight
is the park’s newest coaster since Pandemonium
opened in 2008. Pandemonium was removed
a year ago to make way for the fantastic SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight. The event started out with
a thrilling 2-hour long ERT session aboard this
new coaster.
2
Nearly eighty event attendees were ready to give
it a whirl. This event marked our biggest ACE
NorCal event attendance-wise since February
2009. Everyone who took flight for the first time
said the ride was totally awesome. According to
Northern California ACEer Matthew Evans, “[SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight] is one of the best rides
I’ve been on.” Since our ERT session was 2-hours
long, many ACEers had to take short breaks
between riding sessions due to the “ultimate”
nature of the ride. Some of our members racked
up more than twenty-five rides during the ERT
3
Top Left: ACEers Courtney Laschkewitsch and Derek Willhite wear their SUPERMAN capes in a funny way.
Top Right, L to R: SFDK’s Captain Lee and Charles Laureano were on hand for the Q&A session.
Center: ACEers gather for the Q&A session during lunch.
Left: ACEers Courtney Laschkewitsch and Taylor Evans after
a ride on SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight.
Bottom: ACEers queue up for SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight!
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Top Left, L to R: ACEers Courtney Laschkewitsch, Shelly
Laschkewitsch and Taylor Evans eat up during lunch.
Top Right, L to R: ACEers Matt and Taylor Evans pose
for a picture before entering the park.
Left: ACEers soar on SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight.
Above, L to R: Guests Erik Corwin and Adam Simko
experience their first ACE event!
Bottom: WHOOOSH!
5
ACE Night at the Haunt
maze Madame Marie’s Massacre Manor. Here,
we got to take a stroll through the maze with
the lights on along with allowing pictures to be
taken. This maze is highly detailed and was extremely interesting to see in this rare state. Later
in the evening, we experienced the maze how it
should be and we all agreed it was a great addition to their Haunt.
Next, we were taken into the Great America Theater where scare actors were getting their makeup applied. One of the make-up artists went on
to show us how a mask is made for each actor.
At this point, it was time for us to take a stroll
October 20, 2012
through the park’s maintenance road on the way
to the picnic pavilion where we were to have our
“Boofet.” After our dinner, we enjoyed a brief ERT
session on Flight Deck for the final 30 minutes
before the park opened.
ACE NorCal would like to thank Ryan Davies,
Edgar-Jason Vidal, Bentley Hidalgo, and the entire
California’s Great America team for making our
first-ever Haunt event at CGA a spookishly great
success!
-Nicholas Laschkewitsch, assistant regional rep.
-Photos: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
“Scare Actors” get
makeup applied for
Halloween Haunt.
O
n October 20, 2012, ACE NorCal
held its first-ever Haunt event at
California’s Great America! We were
excited to welcome the opportunity for a special Haunt experience.
ACEers gathered by the front gate late in
the afternoon for the start of the event.
Out front, we were greeted by Ryan Davies, Group Sales Area Manager for CGA,
along with Edgar-Jason Vidal, General
Sales Manager, and Bentley Hidalgo of
the park’s maintenance department.
For more event photos, visit
facebook.com/ACENorCal
After brief introductions, they took us
through the gates for our behind-thescenes tour of Gold Striker; CGA’s newfor-2013 wooden coaster. While we
didn’t enter the actual construction zone,
the team led us into backstage areas
that aren’t open to the public. It gave
everyone some great vantage points to
check out the construction which only
excited us more about the ride opening.
Gold Striker is CGA’s newest coaster since
Psycho Mouse opened in 2001. Half-way
through the tour, Ryan handed out some
special media kits from 2002 that advertised their two new rides for that season:
Flying Eagles and Delirium.
ACEers Andrew Hansis
and Barbara Lawson.
6
Following the construction tour, we were
guided over to their new-for-2012 Haunt
7
Gerry
Watt’s
?!
__________
Up
Scandia Family Fun
Center Sacramento
Since 1977
Column by Gerry Watt, ACE NorCal assistant regional representative
a chilly evening is bracing this time of year--it
Where do you go when you’re craving that
feels a bit like sitting on a ski chairlift seat that
amusement park fix but don’t have the time (or,
has gone berserk. Views of the surrounding area
sometimes, the money) for that all-day trip to
are wide-open--nothing else is as high up as you
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, California’s Great
anywhere near you, and that only adds to your
America, or the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk?
perspective and sense of vulnerability--while
Where I live that often means an afternoon or
evening at the original Scandia Family Fun Center waiting for the other end to load or unload you
have plenty of time at the top to take in what’s
here in Sacramento. This was the first Scandia
(way, way) below you: a major interstate freebuilt by the three Scandinavian families (the Larway
full of vehicles whizzing by right next to you
sons, Madsens and Jensens) who started Scandia
(Interstate 80), people placidly playing miniature
36 years ago, way back in 1977.
golf, whacking baseballs in batting cages, or
riding bumper boats, go-karts and a Scrambler
Combining attractions as varied as thrill rides,
directly below you.
family rides, two miniature golf courses, batting
cages, an arcade and food service, Scandia has
something to entertain everyone in the family
for hours. Add in their lengthy hours of operation daily (10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday through
Thursday, 10:00 AM to midnight Friday and Saturday) and you have a readily-available park for that
escape from your routine you need.
Photo: Scott R. Craig
A truly unique oddity to this ride experience is
that, due to neighbors’ nearby complaints about
Getting your adrenaline rush to start off the
screaming riders annoying them, this particular
visit right definitely means a ride on the Scandia
Screamer could be called the “No-Screamer,” as
Screamer (AKA Scandia Sky Screamer). Towering
signs and attendants announce that if you can’t
over the park at 165 feet tall, spinning at speeds
stay quiet while riding it the ride will come to
up to 65 mph, and lit with striking lighting from
head to toe, this is the attraction that catches your an end. Since screaming is a natural reaction to
this ride’s intensity, you can imagine sometimes
eye from the freeway as you approach the park,
people end up having their rides cut short! But
especially at night--spectacularly so. For those
most meet the challenge to stay silent--and that
unfamiliar with the ride, it features a huge, single
becomes yet another memorable part of the ride.
windmill-like boom, with a single seat on each
end holding two riders each, the seats free to
rotate upside down. The seats are wide open and Many of us thought we’d lost the Screamer for
good when, on August 30, 2011, the Screamer
make you feel quite vulnerable to the elements,
was being dismantled for maintenance and the
especially at top speed. Riding the Screamer on
8
giant crane lowering the massive
windmill-blade
boom to the
ground suddenly
collapsed, injuring
two maintenance
workers, one seriously, and leaving the crane and
boom crumpled
and fallen across
part of one of
the two mini-golf
courses and partially on top of one of
the batting cages.
The park was open,
but no customers
or other employees
were injured. A
subsequent CalOSHA investigation
concluded that no
one had anticipated
the weight of the boom blade--it turned out to
be twice as heavy as had been estimated, causing
the crane to collapse.
Photo: Scott R. Craig
Post-investigation the park remounted the ride
and fully inspected it, complying with all requirements from Cal-OSHA, and the Screamer reopened to the public May 11, 2012, and has been
operating daily since.
On a light note, amusingly enough one of the
main items focused on and reported by news organizations on its re-opening weekend was that
the Screamer would still remain “screamless.”
New for 2012 is the Swedish Scrambler, a shining
silver stainless-steel classic Scrambler ride, which
joins the other amusement rides: the Baltic Sea
Bumper Boats, where you can bump other boats
and try to avoid water geysers (or “accidentally”
bump others into the geysers, of course), and the
Stockholm Raceway, where you maneuver your
go-karts at high speeds through a maze of a racing course.
Rounding out the attractions are nine batting
cages with pitching speeds of 25 to 70 mph, an
arcade featuring both arcade games and redemption games, a snack bar, and, the pride of Scandia,
their two original miniature golf courses, touted
as having no “cheap imitations” when it comes to
their hand-made obstacles and buildings (modeled on buildings around the world) and their
“meticulously cared-for” lawns, trees, and gardens. No fake plants here.
While individual rides are $5.25 each and the
Screamer is $10.25, their best deal, ironically, is
only available on weekends and holidays: $20.50
for an unlimited “golf and rides” wristband, $10.25
for those under 48” tall. Birthday party rates are
available, too, with the unlimited “golf and rides”
wristband dropping to $14.95 for those 48” and
over. And they make it clear that adult birthday
parties are welcome as much as childrens’ parties,
with at least 5 participating people, and two days
advance notice of the party.
My favorite time to visit is at sunset, as the lights
come on and evening sets in--the best time to be
outside in Sacramento during the Spring, Summer and Fall in particular--and with Scandia’s
daily late closing times year-round, you still have
plenty of time to enjoy the park and its attractions.
The park is a sweet mix of relaxation and adrenaline rush, and with the unlimited wristband you
can pick your rhythm for your stay. It reminds
me of a day at the Boardwalk, where one minute
you’re screaming your lungs out on the Dipper,
the next you’re prone on the beach, listening
to distant screams and mechanical ride sound
echoes behind you and soothing lapping waves
in front of you.
Gerry Watt
Scandia Family Fun Center Sacramento is at 5070
Hillsdale Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95842-3520, just off
Interstate 80 at the Madison Avenue exits from either
I-80 East or West.
Their phone number is (916) 331-5757, and website is
http://www.scandiasports.com
There are nearby hotels and plenty of restaurants and
shopping as well, all located at the same interchange
at Madison and I-80.
9
ACE HoliDAY in the Park
December 29, 2012
Article and photos by Steven Wilson, ACE NorCal regional rep.
On December 29, 2012, ACE NorCal closed out
the season in style with our first-ever ACE Holiday
in the Park at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. The
day started with a half-hour of ERT on Medusa,
Cobra, and SkyScreamer. Following ERT, everyone was free to enjoy the park until we met again
in the afternoon for the holiday meal.
The bumper car building was transformed into a
heated, holiday dining facility. ACEers in attendance enjoyed an all-you-can-eat turkey dinner
with sides, soft drinks, and dessert. Although no
dinner show had been scheduled for the day, the
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom entertainment
department treated us to a surprise presentation
of the holiday dinner show. After the show, our
ACEers Derek Arnold (above) and Rick Widger (be- friend Charles Laureano of Park Operations took
low) take on the fun and thrilling Snow Hill during an
the stage to field a variety of questions from the
ERT session after the park closed.
audience of ACEers.
Above (left): Charles Laureano of Park Operations takes the stage for our Q&A session.
Above (right): ACEer Andrew Hansis is pulled out of the audience to be a part of the show.
At the 6:00 PM park closing time, we gathered at
the snow hill for our first-ever Exclusive SnowHill-Time. Everyone had a blast, sledding down
the hill again and again and again. It was great
fun to slide down the Snow Hill and recall the
similarity to the roller coaster’s origins with the
Russian ice slides.
Once our time on the snow hill ended, we
thanked the terrific crew and then headed out of
the park. Along the way, we stopped at the giant
Christmas tree for one last group photo.
ACE NorCal wishes to profoundly thank Daniela
Mereles, Charles Laureano, and the rest of the
team at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for making
this event possible and for showing us such a
wonderful time!
10
-Steven Wilson, regional rep.
11
Regional Attraction News
Upcoming activities:
For more, visit: www.pnatb.org
February 16th, 17th, & 18th
President’s Day Weekend
Celebrate your President’s Day without
spending so many portraits of George
and Abe. For our low admission price,
every generation of the family can
enjoy our unique collections of memorabilia and FREE PLAY pinball, carnival
and classic arcade games.
March 2nd & 3rd
Animation Cel-a-bration
Above, center: ACEer Tamara Hall
smiles as she glides down the slope.
All you Pinball Wizards don’t want to
miss our annual Pinball tournament
being held on Sunday, February 24th.
Practice begins at 10:00 AM and tournament play begins at 12:00 PM. Signups are the day of the tournament at
the door (included with admission,
but no discounts or coupons allowed).
There will be an adult and child division with prizes.
artist and teacher Steve Segal, who
has worked on such modern animated
masterpieces as Toy Story, A Bug’s Life
and The Brave Little Toaster, will be on
hand to provide unique insight into
the techniques and history of
films that were paintings come to life,
modern art masterpieces rendered
on celluloid. You’ll see cartoons in a
whole new light!!
-Frank Biafore and Tim Sauer, PNATB
ACE Discount: Show your ACE membership card and receive $5.00 off admission!
Right: ACEer Michael Eisenbarth
speeds by on the Snow Hill.
BEST OF THE BEST!
Boardwalk Announces New “Family Fun Overnight”
Out with the OLD and
in with the NEW!
SANTA CRUZ, CA (January 23, 2013) – The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk announced a
new event for 2013 – the first annual Family Fun Overnight. The event kicks off March
8 at the Cocoanut Grove, adjacent to the Boardwalk. With the historic, oceanfront
event facility as a base, families will enjoy an evening of arcade games, family contests,
a movie and sleepover in the Cocoanut Grove, followed by a sand castle contest, and a
full day of amusement park rides.
Thanks to the amazing work of
Boardwalk painter Jimmy RaunByberg, the historic Giant Dipper
sign has a bright new look.
March 8-9, 2013 at the Cocoanut Grove
The Boardwalk’s Family Fun Overnight package includes ($69.95 per person):
•
•
•
•
•
•
12
GOLDEN TICKET
AWARDS
2012
Above, right: ACEer Andrew Hansis
rides the slopes at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
Playland-Not-at-the-Beach showcases
its incredible collection old classic
Pinball Machines, all set on FREE PLAY.
Enjoy wood-fashioned pinballs from
the 1940s alongside popular models
from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s in our three
full rooms of machines and pinball art.
Come visit the only bay area venue for
pinball, carnival & arcade games and
live magic shows!
V.I. P.
Above, left: ACEer Barbara Lawson
takes a run on the Snow Hill.
Before Real 3-D and CGI, groups of
dedicated craftsmen produced works
of art with brush and pen on cels.
Relive the magic of these animated
classics and learn about the traditional
techniques behind them. Animation
February 23rd & 24th
Woodrails and Wedgeheads Weekend
2.5 hours of Free Play in the Casino Arcade
Dinner and Continental Breakfast in the Sun Room
Evening Program with Family Game Show Competitions and Movie
Morning Program with Family Sand Castle Contest and Games
Boardwalk All-Day Rides Wristband
Event T-shirt (if registered by March 1)
For more details and registration information visit http://beachboardwalk.com/familyfun/
Also, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk just revealed its brand-new
park logo! You can see it in all of
its shining glory on the upper left
of this section.
What do you think?
-Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
13
GOLD STRIKER CONSTRUCTION MOVES INTO OVERDRIVE - OPENING SPRING 2013
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA’S TALLEST AND FASTEST WOODEN COASTER
Progress on Gold Striker is moving along swiftly.
Below are some photos of a topping off event,
that took place on January 30, 2013.
Get your 2013 Season Pass at www.gilroygardens.org !!
Photos were taken by Nicholas Laschkewitsch,
ACE NorCal assistant regional rep. Enjoy!
-Ryan Davies, California’s Great America
SIX FLAGS DISCOVERY KINGDOM UNVEILS SEASON DINING PASS
A day of thrills makes you hungry!
How Does It Work?
Buy one pass that lets you eat both one lunch and
one dinner every time you visit the park. The dining pass is available to Season Pass Holders and is
added onto the Season Pass card.
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom introduces a new
Season Dining Pass that lets you eat lunch and
dinner at the park every time you visit for just one
upfront payment.
Our $69.99 Dining Pass provides meals through
September 22. For just $5 more, you can add
meals during Fright Fest in October or for $10
more, you can add meals for the rest of the year
including both Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park.
14
Each meal comes with one of several entrees. The
program features a wide variety of entrees at restaurants all over the park including grilled chicken
sandwiches, burritos, chicken strips, pizza, salads,
hot dogs, meatball subs, buffalo strips, nachos,
corn dogs and more.
See http://www.sixflags.com/discoveryKingdom/
tickets/seasondiningpass.aspx for details!
-Nancy Chan, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Get your 2013 season pass today!
Only $49.99 each!
Just $15 more than a full-price,
Single-Day General Admission ticket!
•
•
•
•
•
•
Unlimited admissions for the entire 2013 season
2 Bring-A-Friend-Free tickets on select days (a $75.98 value!).
Bring-A-Friend for $19.99 discounts on select days.
Exclusive Pass holder-only events
Special events and concerts throughout the season
Even more exciting benefits to be announced soon
facebook.com/WaterworldCalifornia
http://www.waterworldcalifornia.com
-Al Garcia, Waterworld California
15
(Regional Rep’s Message continued from page 2)
contributions as well. We are now working up
the event schedule for 2013, which promises
to be even better than 2012. If you have any
suggestions for a regional event, be sure to let
us know. I also want to thank all of you who
supported our 2012 events by attending.
We hope to see even more of you at our 2013
events!
-Steven Wilson
Next Issue
Thank you for reading this issue of the
Northern California Dispatch! In our next issue,
you can expect to see regional event news, an
article on our 2012 ACE NorCal Holiday Party,
construction photos of SCBB’s new-for-2013
UNDERTOW and CGA’s Gold Striker, and more!
-Nicholas Laschkewitsch
Special Thanks
Gold Striker was topped
out on 1/30/2013.
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
This issue would not have been possible without
the assistance of Taylor Evans, Emi and Matthew
Pearce, Gerry Watt, Steven Wilson, Nancy Chan,
Scott R. Craig, Ryan Davies, Brigid Fuller, Al Garcia,
Charles Laureano, Daniela Mereles, Captain Lee
Munro, Roger Ross, Donaven Staab, Frank Biafore,
Tim Sauer and all of the parks and attractions
featured in this issue. Thank you!
ACE Northern California Dispatch
Layout/desktop publishing:
Nicholas Laschkewitsch
Cover photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
ACE Northern California website:
ACENorCal.org
Facebook page:
facebook.com/ACENorCal
YouTube channel:
youtube.com/ACENorCal
Northern
California
Dispatch
Volume 9, Issue 5
Winter 2012/2013
16